Bob Missel was 10 years old when he found a hobby that involved good sense.
Or cents, actually.
It happened after the Fremont man’s dad, Henry, gave him a jar of old Lincoln Wheat Cents. That’s when the boy began collecting coins, something he’s continued to do for about the last 53 years.
Today, Missel is involved with the Fremont Coin Club, formed by a group of collectors in 1959. Club members began a tradition of hosting yearly shows.
This month, the public is invited to the group’s 64th Annual Coin Show set from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 30. The event will take place in the Christensen Field Main Arena, 1710 W. 16th St. Admission is free.
More than 20 coin dealers from Nebraska and surrounding states plan to attend the show. Items available for purchase include collector coins, gold and silver coins and bullion, tokens, old currency, world coins and other collectible items.
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Last year, the coin show also had five rock, gem and mineral dealers and a sixth is expected this year.
“I observed a lot of people enjoying those tables and looking through fossils, crystals and collectibles,” Missel said.
Approximately 350 people attended the 2022 event and Missel believes the show offers an excellent opportunity for local hobbyists.
“It’s also a tremendous opportunity for someone who’s just curious about a coin they have in their collection and wonder what it’s worth,” Missel said.
Free appraisals will be offered and Missel noted something else.
“It appears that gold and silver are in a bull market and there’s been a tremendous interest in the area about coins that contain gold and silver. I think it’s a great opportunity for people, who are buying or selling, to attend the show,” Missel said.
Missel’s own interest in coin collecting began with the jar of pennies.
“The history behind the different series of coins has always intrigued me,” Missel said.
Missel has since branched out with his coin collecting and now specializes in old U.S. coinage and currency.
He points out the common fascination with coins.
“Almost everybody I meet – at some level, once you start a conversation with them – they’re a coin collector,” Missel said. “At a minimum, everybody seems to have put aside a silver dollar, maybe passed on from a grandparent, or a two dollar bill they received in circulation, or a 50-cent piece that caught their eye.”
These are the casual collectors.
“We have our more serious collectors who are looking to put together collections of a particular series or type of coin,” he said.
Probably the most popular involves the Lincoln cent collection. These are pennies with the portrait of American President Abraham Lincoln on the obverse (front) side of the coin.
“It was the first circulating coin that had a president’s image put on it and it was immensely popular from the beginning,” Missel said, adding, “It’s still produced to this day.”
Some design changes have occurred.
From 1909 to 1958, the pennies featured sheaves of wheat on the reverse (back) side of these coins.
In 1959, the wheat was replaced by a picture of the Lincoln Memorial. More recently, that design had been changed to the shield of liberty.
All the while, the portrait of Abraham Lincoln, facing to the right, has remained on the coin’s front side.
“I believe it is the longest circulating coin type that has not dropped off or changed,” Missel said.
By comparison, the Buffalo nickel was minted from 1913 to 1938.
“That’s typical of a lot of early American coin series that have come and gone, so the Lincoln cent is unusual in that the design has never been replaced since its origin in 1909,” Missel said.
Missel appreciates the collector community.
“There’s always a good discussion or conversation to be had regarding the history of coins and you run into a lot of different people who specialize in different fields. It’s fun,” Missel said.
Fremont’s coin club, which has about 40 active members, hosted its first coin show more than 60 years ago and has continued the tradition since then, Missel said.
Other clubs in Lincoln, Omaha, Nebraska City, Grand Island and other Nebraska communities host annual, local shows.
“It’s a great opportunity for people who have an interest in the hobby to come together,” Missel said.
To commemorate the 2023 event, the local organization has issued a commemorative $5 Historical Bank Note available from coin club members. A raffle for a gold coin, minted in 1912, is planned.
The American Numismatic Association Certification Service, (ANACS), a coin grading company, will attend the show to offer professional grading services. A representative from the Nebraska Numismatic Association will offer information on the hobby and membership opportunities.
More show information is available at nebraskacoin.com.